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Summary

To support the social participation of older adults with dementia, Auckland Council and the Age Friendly Auckland implementation group (a group of aging sector partners and NGOs) collaborated to secure funding from the Officer for Seniors’ Age-friendly Fund to facilitate a Dementia Friendly film screening pilot project.

The pilot featured three film screening events, followed by morning tea, creating a welcoming and accessible series of events for people with dementia. A lived experience advisory group was created with partners from Dementia New Zealand (Northern) to advise on film choices, time of day, and how to make the events as accessible as possible. Over 155 people attended the three events with carers or supporters. Their feedback was overwhelmingly positive. They enjoyed feeling that they could attend an event in the community that was a safe space, and enjoyed the hospitality and connections made with other people who attended.

Age-Friendly Auckland Rōpū members and cinema staff undertook Alzheimers New Zealand’s “dementia-friendly” online training course.

  • The first screening, Singin’ in the Rain, took place on 31st March 2025 at the historic Victoria Cinema in Devonport. Fifty people attended, a mixture of people with dementia and their carers/supporters.
  • The second screening, Strictly Ballroom, took place on 30th April at The Rialto Cinema in Newmarket. Fifty people attended, including people with dementia and their carers.
  • A third screening, Singin’ in the Rain, took place on 28th May 2025 at Reading Cinema in New Lynn. Fifty-five people attended the screening.

Free popcorn, ice cream, and drinks were offered to attendees prior to each of the screenings. Soft lighting was provided to assist people wanting to move around during the films and intermissions took place halfway through the films. A light morning tea at the venue was provided after each of the screenings for relaxed social connections, and souvenir polaroid photos were provided as mementos of the event.

Key facts

Main target group: Older people with chronic health conditions or disability

Sector(s): Other

Desired outcome for older people:
Build and maintain relationships

Other issues the Age-friendly practice aims to address:
  • Accessibility
  • Dementia
  • Inclusion
  • Participation

Contact details

Name: Joanna Maskell

Email address: Joanna.Maskell@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Age-friendly practice in detail (click to expand):

Engaging the wider community

Project lead: Local authorities

Others involved in the project:
  • Civil Society Organisation
  • Older People’s Association
  • Social or health care provider
  • Volunteers

How collaboration worked: The project was funded by a grant from the Office for Seniors, a central government agency. The project manager was a staff member from Auckland Council. Staff and volunteers from Auckland Council, Haumaru Housing, CNSST (formerly Chinese New Settlers Services Trust), aged care homes, and cinema staff supported attendees with dementia and the carers at the screening to ensure a safe and welcoming atmosphere.

Older people’s involvement: Older people were consulted during the planning process

Details on older people’s involvement: Older people with dementia and carers of people with dementia were recruited to be part of a lived experience advisory group. They met with Auckland Council staff and advised about movie choices, venue accessibility, time of day for the event, and how to make the events as welcoming and safe as possible for people with dementia. People who were part of the group received morning tea and a voucher to compensate for their time. Their suggestions were incorporated into the planning of the events.

Moving forward

Has the impact of this age-friendly practice been analysed: Yes

Was the impact positive or negative:
Positive

Please share with us what you found in detail:
Marketing the film screenings as “dementia friendly” was an important aspect in making people feel as though they could attend and that they would be safe. The opportunity to socialise afterwards over morning tea in a supportive atmosphere was enjoyed by most attendees. The choice of light entertainment with a focus on music was successful as following a plotline wasn’t necessary. The presence of volunteers, in addition to cinema staff was key, so that people could be greeted and supported to find their place in the cinema. Making sure that an accessible venue is chosen is key for a successful dementia friendly event, preferably with bathrooms on the same level as the cinema. Support with transport options will also make the event more accessible and easier for carers. Providing a space for carers to connect and have information about support available will also be of value at future dementia friendly events. The full evaluation report can be found on the Knowledge Auckland website: https://knowledgeauckland.org.nz/publications/

Evaluation report: Dementia-friendly-film-screening-pilot-evaluation-Auckland-Council-October-2025.pdf

Feedback:
The pilot programme was evaluated by a social researcher. She carried out the research in a way that was accessible to attendees including observation at the events, brief feedback on written cards, tokens, discussion with attendees after the screenings, and several in depth interviews with film attendees in the days following the screenings. Feedback from the 155 attendees was overwhelmingly positive and included the following comments: “Mum loved coming to the theatre and the hospitality of the organisers.” “The movie brought back memories of my father who tried to pretend to be the star of the show – great memories.” “It was a brilliant movie – it was fantastic for me to be able to bring Mum to something like this – it felt very safe for her. Thank you so much for doing this for the dementia community – it’s so valuable to keep her involved in the community.” “Having a big smile on staff to greet us at top of escalator – really made me feel at home.”

Expansion plans:
As a result of the pilot and evaluation, Auckland Council has created Dementia Friendly Event guidance to share with other council’s and organisations in New Zealand who would like to create events for people with dementia.

Looking back

Reflections:
Accessible parking and transport to and from the venue would be issues to consider for future dementia friendly events. Some cinemas had time limited parking and few disability car parks nearby. For future events, more transport planning and communication about options would be essential. Most cinemas could only accommodate 2-3 wheelchairs. At one event, a care home brought eight wheelchair users without advising in advance which caused logistical issues for the cinema. Making sure that accessibility capacity is communicated in advance is also essential.

Challenges:
At one screening, many wheelchair users attended and there was only one lift up to the cinema. We delayed the start of the film screening to make sure everyone was in the cinema and comfortably seated before the movie began.